


Spinning Lights

by Beckyhelene



Category: Detroit Evolution - Fandom, Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Mall Santa - Freeform, Octopunk Advent, Post Detroit Evolution, mentions of Gavin/Nines
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:21:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28227564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beckyhelene/pseuds/Beckyhelene
Summary: Chris is having a difficult time getting a picture of his son on Santa’s lap, thankfully he gets some help from a certain Android colleague.
Relationships: Chris Miller & Damian Miller, Chris Miller & Upgraded Connor | RK900 & Gavin Reed
Kudos: 4





	Spinning Lights

**Author's Note:**

> Done in response to Octopunk Advent prompt  
> Day 23: Mall Santa
> 
> I guess this could also function as an unofficial sequel to my DE fic “Comfort”....even though I’m still working on it....and the few lines that would tie this to that is stuff from the chapter I’m still working on and hasn’t been posted yet. So....kinda spoilers for that, I guess?

“Damian, Damian look at daddy!” Nines heard a familiar voice say in a gentle sing-song tone, bringing him out of his thoughts. Nines slowly opened his eyes and let the world around him return to his senses as he took stock—reminded himself—of where he was. A hard bench in a secluded corner of the Detroit Mall.

Nines had been “dragged”—or more accurately accompanied Gavin who’d been dragged by Tina—to the Mall just days before Christmas. Some family member of hers or Valerie’s was a similar build and size as Gavin and she had managed to cajole him into helping her find things at a clothing store. Nines had followed the two for a while, before Tina had suggested he walk around and explore the mall on his own. Nines had begun to dismiss whatever concerns she had that he might be bored, but her pointed look between him and Gavin indicated he should take her up on the suggestion.   
  


Nines had aimlessly wandered around the mall, sidestepping past people hurrying about carrying shopping bags, lists, and a few having conversations on their cellphones in the hustle and bustle of gift shopping.

_“What you you mean she already has that Barbie?! I asked you three times!”_

_”He’ll grow in to it, it’s fine.”_

_”What do you want me to do?! They were sold out!”_

_”I got it! Grandpa’s gonna love it! I can’t wait til he sees it!”_

As chaotic as the mall was, Nines had been relieved to see it. People were so preoccupied with their own concerns, even the most staunchly anti-android person was likely too busy to notice or antagonize the Android walking among them. After some time, Nines had found a less busy spot to sit and escape the maze of shoppers. He sat on a bench and “people-watched” for some time before letting his mind wander. 

Nines retreated to his mind palace, or what little there was of it. Currently it only consisted of a vast blank space, as he had yet to rebuild it after letting go of the zen garden—and its occupant—months prior. He had had many legitimate—well, legitimate in his mind, at least—reasons as to why he hadn’t rebuilt it before, but he had slowly begun to start building something in the barren space. Largely due to Gavin’s encouragement after Nines had mustered the courage to reveal that side of himself to him. Gavin was concerned over how being without a robust mind palace as he had had would affect Nines. As much as Nines brushed off and tried to claim he didn’t need it anymore, Gavin did not relent.

So, Nines was trying. In his moments alone, when Gavin was actually managing to get as much of a full nights’ rest as he could manage, Nines retreated into his own mind—leaving some senses aware if Gavin cried out from one of his nightmares and needed him—and tried to begin the reconstruction process. So far, he hadn’t had much progress as he was stuck on whether to recreate the garden, or make something new.

”Sir, there’s a line of kids waiting for their turn with Santa,” Nines heard a bored and annoyed voice say as he continued to come back to the present.

”I know, just...a little longer, okay? Please?” The familiar voice pleaded in frustration. “C’mon Damian, just one picture. One picture for daddy?”

Nines stood up to locate the source—Chris, his mind finally processed—of this distress. Not far from where he sat, Nines saw a line of children and their parents or caregivers. Near the front of the line, a teenage girl was dressed in a cartoonish elf costume by a camera while Chris stood beside her confusing to plead and wave his hands. As Nine approached to investigate the problem, he saw the full display.   
  


Not far from Chris and the elf-girl, there was a large plush red throne surrounded in styrofoam “snow” and boxes done up to look like wrapped presents. On the throne, there sat a large bearded man in red, with a small distracted child on his lap.

“Chris?” Nines spoke as he came to stand beside his friend and colleague.

”Holy sh-“ Chris jumped slightly, startled, before looking at Nines and relaxing. “Nines! Hey! Sorry, you startled me,” he hurriedly said before resuming his antics.

”Is everything alright?” Nines asked, growing more and more perplexed over what was going on. 

“Huh? Oh-uh, ha, yeah everything’s fine. Just trying to avoid the wrath of the grandmas,” Chris muttered. He caught sight of Nines questioning look and sighed. “Both my mom and mother-in-law want a picture of their grandson on Santa’s lap,” he explained, gesturing to where the child and bearded man sat. “His first Christmas last year was....chaotic,” Chris remarked, in a tone that made it clear that in the wake of the recent Android revolution and Chris’s trauma from just moments before Markus’ mercy in Capitol Park just before it, there was cause for things to be paused and set aside. “So, now this is his **real** first Christmas. And the grandmas want pictures. And if the grandmas don’t get what they want, the mom and dad won’t hear the end of it until **next** Christmas...if we’re lucky.”

”I see,” Nines said, trying his best to follow along but falling short. 

“This is attempt number three,” Chris said with a sigh. “First two times he went into a meltdown as soon as my wife or I put him in Santa’s lap. So....at least this time he’s not crying? That’s an improvement, right?”

”This is attempt four!” The bearded man barked in a gruff voice. “You forgot about when he cried _and_ pissed on my leg!”

”Thanks, Santa! You just keep on being jolly!” Chris shot back with a tight smile. 

“I suspect this Santa’s....demeanor....isn’t typical for this....position?” Nines asked as he turned his head and caught sight of parents covering their children’s ears and a few glaring as they stomped away with their whining charge in tow.

”Oh I don’t know, seems pretty typical for a Mall Santa,” Chris muttered with a snort. He shook his head as he caught the elf-girl tapping her foot impatiently. “Alright, guess we’ll try again some other-“ He trailed off and grew quiet he looked towards his son. “Hang on,” he said. 

“Is something wrong?” Nines asked as he moved to return his gaze to Chris.

”Don’t move!” Chris desperately exclaimed, grabbing Nines shoulders. Nines’ eyes widened as he snapped his gaze to Chris in alarm. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Chris quickly apologized as he took his hands off of him. “This is the first time Damian’s looked over here. Please, just....I’d really appreciate it if.....I’m sorry. He likes the spinning light and....I’m sorry,” Chris hurriedly said in a rambling fashion as he gestured to Nines’ LED. Nines opened his mouth to question what was going on, when a round of joyful giggles erupted from Damian. “Oh, uh, he really likes yellow,” Chris commented with a sheepish grin.

”Ello!” Damian cried out with delight.

“That’s right, buddy!” Chris replied. “Yellow! You like the yellow light, don’t you? How about we get a picture of you looking at the yellow light for your grandmas?” He shot Nines a pointed and imploring look, even going as far as mouthing ‘pleasepleasepleaseplease’ to him. Nines gave him a small nod, giving to his friend’s pleas. “Thank you!” He hurriedly whispered before guiding Nines to stand right behind the elf-girl, all while Damian’s gaze followed his LED.

“Okay, we’re done,” she said once she took the picture, clearly relieved to be done with this set of parent and child.

”Thank you!” Chris gratefully exclaimed after catching sight of a preview of the photo. He quickly stuffed payment and a tip into her hand—which seemed to brighten her mood slightly—and rushed to retrieve his son so as to not hold up the line any longer. “Good job buddy, good job,” Chris brightly and lovingly cooed as he picked Damian up from Santa’s lap. The toddler beamed at the praise and nuzzled against his father’s shoulder.

”You’ve never struck me as a mallrat,” Chris jokingly commented once he sat with Nines on the bench Nines had previously abandoned, as Damian happily ate from a small bag of dry cereal in his stroller.

”I was just taking in the sights. Gavin is helping Tina buy gifts, she suggested I walk around.”

”They’re probably getting your-“ Chris cut himself off and shook his head.

“Getting what?” Nines curiously asked, to which Chris only pursed his lips and shook his head again. 

“Nuh uh, nope. Not saying anything else. We just got over them teasing me for the worst and most clueless ‘set up’ known to man or machine. I’m not putting my foot in it again by talking too much.” 

“I didn’t realize the teasing had been so bad,” Nines replied with a small smirk. The truth was he knew very well how bad the gentle ribbing at Chris’ expense had been.

”Are you kidding?” Chris incredulously exclaimed. “Tina told my wife an—albeit abridged—version of events, so I was getting it from all sides! Even **she’s** been laughing her head off at me not getting.... _things_....and trying to play matchmaker.”

”Silly dahhdee!” Damian said with a wide grin.

”Like I said, getting it from all sides,” Chris wryly muttered with a roll of his eyes as he lightly tickled his son. “Yeah, daddy was very silly, and mommy likes to make fun of daddy doesn’t she?” Damian answered with a round of giggles as he squirmed in his stroller.

“I didn’t realize it had been that obvious,” Nines muttered, surprised to hear even Mrs. Miller had thoughts on the matter.

”Hey, don’t look at me. I am clearly too oblivious. You could’ve had a neon sign over your Thirium pump saying ‘property of Gavin Reed’ and I probably still wouldn’t have gotten it.”

”That’s...certainly an image,” Nines replied with wide eyes at the hyperbole.   
  


“Yeah, well; the point is; it’s managed to die down—well, at work at least. The last thing I need is a new round of mocking for ruining your Christmas present,” Chris stated. He groaned and rolled his eyes to himself. “You didn’t hear that.”

”Don’t worry, Chris,” Nines said. “I’ll keep you from the mocking of the colleagues, along with the wrath of the grandmas,” he added with a small smirk.

“You’re a lifesaver, Nines” Chris appreciatively proclaimed as he looked at the print out of his picture—Damian sitting on Santa’s lap, eyes bright and big smile as he looked in the camera’s direction. “A real lifesaver.” 

“Well what are friends for, right?” Nines asked. Chris smiled and patted Nines’ shoulder. 

“Thanks,” he replied. Nines was uncertain if this was even more gratitude for agreeing to help get the picture taken, or something more—the acknowledgment of their friendship, perhaps?—but he simply returned the smile as he continued to enjoy sitting with his friend and his son amidst the hustle and bustle around them. 


End file.
